A History of Violence UHD

Director: David Cronenberg
Screenplay: Josh Olson, John Wagner
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt
Country: United States, Canada
Running Time: 96 minutes
Year: 2005

As a lifelong 2000AD fan, I might be biased, but John Wagner does not get the credit he deserves. Granted, he probably doesn’t seek such credit; but he co-created Judge Dredd, for goodness sake. Everyone knows Alan Moore and even Mark Millar, but not Wagner.

Outside of the Dredd adaptations, he is at least responsible for the source material of A History Of Violence, released this month on a well-deserved Criterion edition. It’s a strange film though. Whereas the comic stands out for being raw and minimalist, the film is rather unambitious -at least when considering who is involved- and some of the derivative nature of the story is exposed.

And yet it’s my favourite David Cronenberg film. I’m not sure it’s his favourite; it feels like he might have been a director-for-hire. Maybe it’s that the noir-ish story -similar setup to Kubrick’s The Killers– almost writes itself and Cronenberg, even on auto-pilot, has a distinctive aesthetic. In between the obvious plot beats, Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello make it a strong psychological drama. Just as Jaws was actually about divorce, take away these killers and the set-pieces, you’re still left with a strongly performed piece about marriage and fidelity.

That wouldn’t be quite as much fun though. The film opens with a Tarantino-esque setup of a laidback pair of killers on a roadtrip, extending to a baked-in authenticity throughout the entire film. Following a brutal murder, they roll into a small town, attempt to hold up Mortensen’s cafe and he deals with them. Rather too quickly and efficiently. Ed Harris’ connected Philadelphia mobster turns up a couple of days later, having recognised this mild-mannered have-a-go-hero. Mortensen and Bello’s relationship strains against what might be a thin facade of a normal life.

It’s a basic plot, somewhat predictable, but it’s got a lovely pace and an old-fashioned style. As much room is given to the cast to chew on the material, as to the set-pieces. Cronenberg is more known for body-horror and so an extra frisson comes from the subtly gory deaths (check out the deleted scene, which would have unbalanced the film but is even more classic Cronenberg).

It could have focused on a story about an affair; the effect an extraordinary event has on a family, especially seeing how their introvert son responds at school. Pivoting in a crazy secret killer history merely emphasises the impact. The third act is a bit silly, but still fun, before a thoughtful ending. Many will find that coda unsatisfying if they aren’t compelled to read between the lines.

This remains an under-powered movie then. Almost as if Cronenberg and his cast made a great film by accident; by relying on classic tropes, a killer cast stretches the material into something valuable and watchable. Maybe he was bored, but it’s full of effortless grace and punches hard when it needs to.

VIDEO

Cronenberg’s lightest film still features gorgeous photography that embraces the mundane. It has a muted palette allowing the detail to pop in a film that feels older than it is.

EXTRAS

All features from previous releases are included, with new pieces for this edition. It’s a solid release from Criterion. Hopefully the film will find a new lease of life, which it thoroughly deserves.

• New 4K digital restoration of the international cut, supervised by cinematographer Peter Suschitzky and approved by director David Cronenberg
• 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
• One 4K UHD disc of the film (Dolby Vision HDR) and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring David Cronenberg
• New interview with screenwriter Josh Olson, conducted by writer-producer Tom Bernardo
• Excerpts of Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen in conversation at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
• “Acts of Violence,” a documentary on the making of the film, featuring behind-the-scenes footage
• Three featurettes
• Deleted scene with commentary by David Cronenberg
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Essay by critic Nathan Lee